Joe the Plumber: too busy to debate

With the second presidential debate about to begin, there is at least one high-profile Republican politician shying away from debating his opponent.

Samuel “Joe the Plumber” Wurzlebacher, who is running for congress in the 9th District of Ohio, was ano-show at a debate scheduled earlier this week.

Joe told the press that the debate against incumbent Marcy Kaptur “didn’t fit his schedule.” But according to most accounts, including those of his fellow Republicans, the unlicensed plumber’s campaign has been awfully quiet of late. “I think his campaign’s nonexistent and at this point I hope he has a trick up his sleeve or a rabbit he’s going to pull out of his hat,” says Steve Kraus, who Joe beat out in the Republican primaries.

According to Kaptur’s campaign, “Joe the Plumber thought he was going to use this to get a TV show and it’s not working out, so he’s lost interest.”

It’s too bad, though. Joe the Plumber’s political hero, Ronald Reagan, was never afraid to debate his opponents.